Analyzing and Interpreting Data free essay sample

Our team has collected, summarized, and interpreted data from the employee survey during the third and fourth weeks of investigation. Findings from the first survey reported that a second survey will be pre-tested before distribution to the employees to ensure effectiveness. The survey questions will be written differently or a new set of questions will be addressed. The intent for the new survey is to analyze and interpret the new data from the second survey prior to making suggestions to senior management regarding the source of employee dissatisfaction prior to creating a model that predicts employee resignation. Summarizing and Presenting Data Our team made revisions from the week two report based on a previously unidentified problem relating to the staff’s weakening morale and a high turnover rate at Ballard Integrated Managed Services, Incorporated. Summarized surveyed data in the BIMS case study will be analyzed by computing descriptive statistics in the form of tables, charts, measures of central tendency, and variability. Conclusions will be drawn from the data and recommendations of the management will be identified. BIMS Overview Barbara Tucker works for Ballard Integrated Managed Services, Inc. and her position is the general manager of Douglas Medical Center (DMC). Tucker’s duties are to oversee three division managers responsible for the food service, hospitality, and maintenance divisions at DMC. The total of staff at BIMS is 452 workers. The turnover rate because of low-skill nature of the positions, is usually 55% to 60% (which is common for the industry) at DMC. In the last four months the turnover rate has increased to 64%, causing an increase in turnovers, costs, an increase of sick time, workers wasting time in the day, work quality has declined, and complaints from the administration at DMC are increasing. Because of the staff’s weakened morale and the repercussions it is causing, and after discussions with the three division managers, Tucker has approved the suggestion of surveying the workers to get to the root of the problem. The human resources manager for DMC is Debbie Horner. She has been assigned as the leader of this project. Horner is competent in employee motivation and will compile the employee survey and a data sheet that will analyze the answers to the questions that were asked on the survey. The survey will be administered to nearly all of the 449 employees excluding the top management team. Research questions asked are about working conditions, quality of training, and level of compensation, shift hours, job security, internal company communication, and fair treatment. After the survey is completed, compiled, and interpreted, Tucker may come up with an explanation. Data Collection and Data Type The data collected was performed through a written survey. As McClave, Benson, and Sincich (2011) state: â€Å"a survey [is where] questions are asked and recorded†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (p. 15). This survey dealt with 10 questions answered through a Likert Scale system of one to five, where one is very negative and five is very positive. At the end of the survey there were four additional questions coded under A, B, C, and D. Because many people view surveys as a waste of time, which explains why only 78 employees responded, even though the survey was sent out to 449 employees. This survey equaled a response rate of only 17. 3 % of the employees surveyed. Also the questions used within the survey to assess the cause of the recent higher turnover rate were too vague. Therefore, this has caused the team to evaluate whether these questions should be considered or should be removed. The type of data collected from the survey is of both qualitative and quantitative data measures. For instance, the last two questions coded under C and D is of qualitative data because they ask questions of gender and have a yes or no format. If one answers yes that does not mean it is greater than a no. Most of the questions from the survey contain information of a qualitative stance, but because a scale of one to five was used, this creates a way to measure a response rate of the employees; thus quantitative data is created. Level of Measurement The level of measurement for the data collected is of nominal and ordinal level data. Because the data collected was more of a qualitative measure, according to Lind, Marchal, and Wathen (2011) it â€Å"can only be classified and counted. † The total of employees surveyed is considered a population of interest, and this variable is of a quantitative measure. The responses solicited from the 78 employees is sample data catalogued as ordinal level data because the 10 questions were given a rating of one to five, from very negative as number one, and very positive as number five. The Likert scaled data can be considered interval for calculation purposes. Data Code and Conclusion of Data Purpose The data code is the kind of steps involved in leading a study included in the beginning to seek within a thought of research, a review of the writing, the process of forming of research questions and proposition Other coding topics are the development of the procedure of information, and to be tested, collection of data, coding of data, running of occasion tests, separating the results, and the writing of the reports to spread out to the results. The elimination of data was necessary for the questions not answered. This resulted in a zero answer on the data sheet. The purpose of the data concluded is to discover exactly what the root of the problem is because of people quitting their jobs in the last few months and what is causing the staff’s morale to be down. Analyzed Data in Excel Through the teams’ coding, it was found that 36 employees surveyed work in the housekeeping division, 32 employees under the food department, and only nine works in maintenance. Thus, a great deal of employees who responded to the survey work in an underappreciated division. There were only 12 managers who responded to this survey, yet 64 regular employees took their time to fill out this survey, meaning that they do wish for conditions in the workplace to change. Special attention should be noted for questions six, eight, nine, and 10. Fairness of pay, treatment experienced from division boss, the company’s communication, and fear of losing job are the questions that scored the lowest on the Likert Scale. The histograms shown in the Excel Spreadsheet determine that in general, the responses given by employees are rather negative. Thus, Ballard Inc. must do something quick to control the high turnover rate it is experiencing. Another item to keep in mind is that the average response rate under standard deviation is about a two pointer. This just means that the company is deviating from its’ desired target. Improvement on the issues mentioned above is essential. Conclusions drawn from data (first survey) The results of the employees surveyed determined that he or she has worked for BIMS for an average of four years and six months with 32 employees working in the food division, 36 working in the housekeeping division, and nine in the maintenance division. The conclusions also showed that 48 males and 28 females participated in taking the survey. Feedback provided from this survey did not provide useful findings and is inadequate due to the 17. 3% response rate. As stated previously, the survey questions were worded awkwardly requiring attention to detail. Results reflect that long-term employees in the food and housekeeping divisions need to be heard, particularly males. Recommendations of Management To increase the response rate for another survey, Debbie Horner should provide a pre-tested sample survey to upper management before surveying employees. To increase the value of the survey, questions should be analyzed and worded specifically to target the reason for the lack of morale. General questions serve no value. Distribution of the surveys is important to make sure that all employees receive a survey and make it mandatory for the surveys to be handed back. Holding a company meeting for each division and surveying each division independently would help to narrow down the problem of morale and where it is originating from. Conclusion – Week 3 In conclusion, Barbara Tucker made the right choice to request a survey to be issued. Debbie Horner’s competence in employee motivation did not prove that she could produce a sufficient survey to diagnose the reasoning for the staff’s low morale. Questions asked on the survey was not beneficial and was worded incorrectly resulting in inadequacy. The response rate of employees who took the survey was considerably low causing the distribution of the survey to be reconsidered. Questions on the survey that rated low on the Likert scale should be considered when administering the next survey. Changes in Data The first survey was labeled as a â€Å"BIMS Employee Survey† and the second survey was labeled as a â€Å"BIMS Exit Interview Survey. † Questions one, three, five, and seven on the second survey showed no change because they were asked on the first survey. Question number six was a similar question asked on the first survey. Questions two, four, eight, nine, and 10 are new questions to the employees. The question number 11 focuses on employees who have already left the job. The question asked what the primary reason that led he or she to decide to quit. The last three questions coded as A, B, and C was repeated from the first survey. Conclusions drawn from data (second survey) The results of the second survey given showed that employees worked for BIMS for an average one-year and four months with 32 employees working in the food division, 36 working in the housekeeping division, and 10 in the maintenance division. The conclusions also showed that 23 males and 55 females participated in taking the second survey. The most apparent reason rating only two point two (question 11), showed employees â€Å"do not like the work† and â€Å"do not like the supervisor†, the majority of females answering this survey. Question nine scoring only a two point five reflects that the employees â€Å"do not agree† that they liked working at that location. Other questions that rated two point eight related to job training, company communication, and transportation to and from work. The remaining questions (strongly agree) scored two point nine to three point one related to job security, pay, hours worked, managers, and supervisors. Recommendations of Management To increase the response rate, Debbie Horner should have given advance information explaining the need to gather the employee’s views and reassurances regarding anonymity, confidentiality, and descriptions on how the information would be used. Debbie’s goal to reduce employee turnover and improve morale could be determined through exit interview surveys. She would be able to identify the areas of greatest concerns of the resigning employees. Debbie decided that her next study population would be directed to those who had voluntarily left BIMS. Based on the high turnover rate, she could do exit interviews accumulating 75-80 completed surveys over the next few months. Descriptive statistics and frequencies could be calculated from the data compiled reflected on a regression statement, used to predict future resignations. This type of surveying could help the company internally. The model that Debbie plans to create would help to predict employee resignation and the HR department could develop new programs for current employees. Conclusion – Week four Feedback provided from this survey did not provide useful findings and is inadequate due to the 17. 3% response rate. Although the most apparent reason shows on question 11, rating only two point two, and employees â€Å"do not like the work† and â€Å"do not like the supervisor. † As stated before, the majority of the employees surveyed was females and worked in either the food or housekeeping division. This is the employee population to target. The exit interviews will help to determine the reason for quitting his or her job, but internally the food and housekeeping division females need to be approached so they will not want to quit their job.